Mac touch FTW!!

Before I simply thought the iPod Touch was a superior product to this mythical giant, but looking at them side-by-side, now I know it for sure and think it's plainly obvious. That thing on the right looks big and clunky, underpowered, and tempting to throw as a frisbee.

Written on an iPod Touch.

I'm nonplussed. I think I'd prefer a 720x480 4.5" iPhone HD.

So your unique version of x-ray vision allows you to see into a picture of a hypothetical product and discern the components within...?!?

Focus here people, the MacTouch is NOT a handheld, it is a SLATE TABLET...

Think netbook/laptop, but without the keyboard or the folding in half...

I for one would LOVE the above pictured MacTouch. Give it a next-gen dual-core Atom CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD & a nVidea 9400M GPU; make BlueTooth, WiFi, 3G & GPS standard.

This would be a killer in the educational markets. No more heavy textbooks to lug around!

This would be perfect for ANYONE who would like to actually get work done on a tablet. And before the naysayers start saying nay; there isn't ANYONE who is going to really want to work on iWork files on an iPhone/iPod Touch anytime soon... That would just be madness. But on a spacious 10" slate tablet, awesome!

This would be perfect for sitting on the coffee table, as a digital picture frame. But it would also do slideshows with transitions & show video clips. It could be picked up to check the WiFi security camera at the front door. It could be used to change the lighting scheme in the house. It could be used to remote control the Apple media center.

I could go on...

And please, PLEASE! stop telling me how an iPhone can do (most of) these things just as well! I want a larger screen damnit! I want to keep from straining my older eyes any more than I have to. I want to surf the net or read email without accidentaly clicking on something I did not intend to. I do NOT want to feel like Gulliver trying to use a Lilliputian slate tablet!

Could you mock-up a version that is 8.5"x5.5"? If anything progresses on this front, this would be the next logical size to add to the multi-touch pantheon.

what is the point of this tablet/touch screen idea? Wouldn't everyone rather have a keyboard and a mouse then typing on a touch screen, along with having a 50/50 shot on clicking on the correct item? I just don't understand this.

[sarcasm]

What is the point of this mouse/graphical user interface idea? Wouldn't everyone rather have a command line and a keyboard then clicking on assorted icons... I just don't understand this.

[/sarcasm]

Drop the 3g so you are not forcing a $30 /m data plan + voice on people with a 2 year att lock in.

If I could make VOIP calls to & from the MacTouch over WiFi & 3G, then I would gladly pay US$30/month!

So add in the Apple stereo BlueTooth headset with microphone for US$129...

Or, or!

Apple could REALLY improve the value of MobileMe; keep the price as it is now for a 'start-up fee', and then add in a US$20/month charge for unlimited nationwide VOIP calling.

I guess that would kind of make Apple a MVNO, a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, as has been discussed before the release of the iPhone...

I have to agree that 10" unit is way to big. Like you I'd much prefer a slightly larger IPhone/ Touch device. The simple reason is portability. It is surprising just how useful iPhone can be and frankly it just gets better with each software release.

What is notable is that the device, if it is a Touch, doesn't have to get excessively bigger. Just blow out the screen in width and height. Height of course would increase the devices size in that direction but only by maybe three quarters of an inch. Much of the increase in length could be taken up in the wasted bezel space at each end. Thus you end up with a unit marginally longer.

The thing is a bigger screen offers up a much better user experience.

I also have this idea for a Classic replacement iPod Touch. For much the same reason a larger screen but more so room for more flash.

In each case though portabilty is important, that is where the 10 inched dies a nasty death. I've even contemplated a device slightly smaller than a Steno Pad but the question becomes how do you stuff it into a pocket? Maybe it would be posible if the could do away with the large glass screen. One has to wonder how you would make such large devices durable, a clam shell laptop has a greatvadvantage in that the screen gets some protection.


Dave

It is fairly simple to guess at what would go in. If you want all day battery life then it will be underpowered.

Then please focus a bit more and explain to us what good a slate tablet would be? Really! If it can't be handheld while it is being used it is crap! There is no market for such a device, never has been and never will be.

Ok I just did and have to ask why? Why no keyboard. Why no protection for the sceen. Why give up the usability especially in a device that big. Why would you want such a device?

You do realize that Atom sucks as a low power processor don't you. Further all the other crap you added sucks even more power. It is simple guy if you want the power of a laptop then buy one.

We have that today they are called laptops. In anyevent there are advantages to text books. For one they don't have glass screens to break. Further you can swap text books just like wives and girlfriends. Would you really want to swap your precious tablet.

I'm going to suggest that you would likely give it away after attempting to use it for awhile. Of course finding somebody to take it off your hands won't be easy as most people would recognize the usability issues right off the bat.

Thankfully you didn't! You are going to hate this but all of the above can be done on an iPhone which can live in your pocket. Besides if there is somebody at the door I'm going to reach for a shotgun because that video camera and tablet won't do you much good.

Whoops already did, but just incase you missed it IPhone can do all of the above!!!! Don't get me wrong I'd love a larger screen also but it still has to fit in a pocket or is other wise reasonable for portable usage. To many 10 inchers in ones pockets leads to unsightly bulges.

I know all about random touches screwing things up but you know I have that issue on my MBP too.

As to text size the iPhone only needs to get slightly larger to deal with that. I do wonder how you expect to be generating all of these letters on a device with no keyboard. It won't be easy.

Dave

I disagree, 10" is indeed the 'sweet spot'. At 10", this device is similar in size to a steno pad or a standard DVD case. I have no problem fitting these items into the back pocket of my jeans, the indise pocket of a jeans jacket or the lower patch pocket of a blazer or lab coat. YMMV...


I actually can see folks moving away from destop machines (professionals & hard-core gamers aside...) and more towards a mobile experience. Those who need the 'power' that a desktop used to provide over a laptop will graviate towards the MacBook Pro models. Many will do with the 'lesser' power of a new MacBook. And a great deal of folks really need nothing more than a netbook version of the new MacBook (which could just as well be a 10" MacTouch).

I would see it more like this (with a bit of reworking on the original concept as presented by Ireland:

You have a Mac mini home server/media center controlling & syncing mobile accounts at home (and the 60" HDTV in the living room is the display for this, with an Apple BlueTooth keyboard & mouse on the coffee table), a 10" Mac touch on the move (you could throw another Apple BlueTooth keyboard/mouse combo into your bag if desired), and an iPhone nano with you at all times.

Then you might as well get a traditionally shaped laptop. At least then the screen is protected while in you bag.

As to pockets my little Cambodian friend has pockets that could handle a large iPhone. So my pockets are no problem. I have to wonder what size pockets you have that end up crowded by an iPhone.

I do the above everyday with my IPhone. Further it is light enough for my pocket. Like wise it is NOT NORMAL for guys to carry around bags!!! It would serve you well not to suggest such again!

The exception to the above is the train ride. The only one I've gotten on was in a Museum. I'm not sure how trains even fit into this discussion.

I don't see how this type of device would sell to an iPhone or Touch user. Especially if such a user where to have at his disposal a slightly larger touch device. Frankly iPhone is one excellent companion to my MBP. A grossly larger device would make no sense at all.

You are right that screen size is important but you are way off as to what is acceptable. Even reverting back to your bag argument, if look at what woman carry around you will see there is no space for you device. Even if there was the oppotunity for breaking the screen is high. There are things in those bags that would hurt a guy much less a tablet.

I've imagined all sorts of devices in the Touch mold but none of them get that big. I've yet to have seen an argument for such a large device that isn't won by a clamshell laptop with a real keyboard and screen protection.

Frankly I have thought much in terms of diagonal but rather how much bigger can Touch/IPhone become before they are no longer portable. My guess is about a half inch os so in width and an inch or so in length. That inch or so in length could actually result in a much longer screen if some of the useless bezel is done away with. In any event I think it is much more useful to have a longer screen than it is to have higher. It is far better for reading and composing documents.

I don't really expect all day battery from ANY mobile computing device.


Oddly enough, it would be not only as good as an iPhone, but better, since the SCREEN IS LARGER! And by handheld, I mean a class of product the size of the iPhone, designed to be CRADLED IN THE HAND. Of course a 10" MacTouch is going to be a held in your hands while using, we cannot expect it to just levitate in front of us!

As to the market for a 10" MacTouch, just because YOU don't want one does not mean that others don't want one...


Why not?!? I can always toss an Apple BlueTooth keyboard in the bag if I want, or one of those roll-up keyboards, or any other number of compact portable keyboard solutions...

As to why no protection for the screen? The exact same could be said for the iPhone, but it seems to be doing okay so far...

And, again, just because YOU don't want one...


You do realize I stated 'next-gen dual-core Atom CPU', right? I don't follow the rumors on everything out there, but I believe the next-gen Atoms are supposed to be more powerful in regards to processing, but have lower power consumption at the same time... As for 'all the other crap', components can be 'turned of' when not needed. This can even be designed into the software. Off when the app that uses it is not running, on when the app that needs it is activated, and in an idle mode when the app using it is up but inactive.

I don't want a desktop replacement, I want a portable device that lets me do everyday computing tasks. Email, Internet, iPhoto, iChat, iTunes, etc.

If I need more power, I would get a MacBook Pro; AND I would probably carry BOTH the MacBook Pro & the 10" MacTouch in my bag.


Actually, laptops DO have glass screens to break now (new uni-body MacBook/MacBook Pros).

And while YOU may swap wives and girlfriends, I try and be faithful in my relationships...

As for the textbooks, why would you want to swap them? Notes scribbled in the margins & highlighting would become digital annotations on the MacTouch, and could be transferred to another copy of the textbook with ease. I won't go into any issues with piracy of digital textbooks, that would be a grey area to be worked out.


I'm going to suggest WE get a chance to actually USE such a device first, and save our judgements for later...


See, I DON'T WANT to do it all on an iPhone! I WANT a larger screen!

As for the front door & wireless security camera, I'll grab the shotty AFTER I use the camera to discern if the person there is friend or foe...

And the 1911 is always on the hip anyway, except in the bathroom or at bedtime. Even then it is not very far from hand... I guess that would make the 1911 my GO TO handheld device!

Remind me to call from the curb (using my iPhone nano, of course...) when I stop by your house!

Long story short, there are indeed a good number of folks who just might want a hypothetical 10" MacTouch slate tablet. YOU don't have to have one if YOU don't want one, but WHY must you insist that no one else should want one either...?!?

Wow, such a forceful statement. Does the idea of a man carrying a bag awaken your dorment homophobia? Seek help...!

Seriously though, 'a bag' does not automatically denote a purse.

I see men carrying messenger bags, backpacks & single-strap sling bags all the time. I don't think this makes them any lesser of a man...

Realizing that he is a fictional character, are you gonna tell Jack Bauer he is less of a man for toting his bag around all the time...?!?

I could easily fit a 10" MacTouch, a power supply/charger for the MacTouch, a roll-up keyboard, a wireless mouse, a water bottle, a few snacks, a few essential toiletries and a change of clothes (excepting pants, which I could wear again; so that means a clean shirt, socks & underwear) into a bag of that size...

My messenger bag from my college days is huge. I could pack a weekends worth of clothes & toiletries, a 10" MacTouch, a portable keyboard/mouse AND a 15" MacBook Pro in there with no problem. Would it be heavy, yes. But it would NOT be heavier than when it was filled with textbooks...

This is where I would be willing to accept a convertible netbook/tablet, as oppossed to a 'pure' slate tablet device.

Only the introduction of the uni-body makes me think Apple could design a convertible that would have a bulletproof hinge...

See my rant on subsidized 10" convertible netbook/tablets elswhere in the forums!

I used to be a slate fan. I have 3. The bottom line is they can't act as a laptop replacement. Fact is, the iPhone is more useful.

And no, multitouch keyboard does not make up for the lack of a keyboard.

Why? Ergonomics. Lack of tactile feedback. Bad angle for both typing or viewing. Keyboard obscures half the viewing space on your 10" screen.

Far better to have a netbook sized convertible tablet with both multitouch and stylus. Why stylus? So you can draw things instead of fingerpaint. Multitouch on a large 30"+ surface is different from a 10" surface which is different from a iPhone sized surface.

With a netbook sized convertible you get the best of all worlds. Compact size. Physical keyboard so you can TYPE stuff. Flip the screen over and use as a ebook, drawing surface or multitouch surface. Screen is protected when it's closed.

I am gonna go out on a limb here and guess that none of the three are Mac OS X machines...


Which is why I have always stated that a portable keyboard/mouse combo tossed in the bag is a key accessory...


Look at some of the latest threads on netbooks. I have gone on a bit about a convertible netbook/tablet as of late. The only thing I don't like about a convertible is that bloody hinge; frankly, it scares me.


There it is. It is NOT in the least bit fair to compare ANY Windows tablet to a Mac OS X tablet, when there hasen't even been an Apple produced Mac OS X tablet yet AT ALL...!!!

The size asked for was 8.5X5.5 Their is a great deal of weight and ease of carrying between that and the size shown.

What I would like to see is a device 170mmX105mm (7.1"X4.4") So that it would still fit in my jacket pocket and could easily use as an e-book reader.

Most people want conveniece and the ability to replace their phone, iPod, quick camera, and soon their ebook reader (the program that makes the iPhone & iTouch into e-readers has outsold all of the dedicated ereaders by about 5 times)

I believe the 9-10" devices are a different device class.

One MotionComputing, one ruggedized slate, one older viewsonic.

I've used a Modbook. It was interesting but honestly OneNote is pretty good. There's not much in OSX (Mac not iPhone) that natively lends itself to being a better slate.


These slates all have portable keyboard options. The problem is that none are designed to work very well in laptop mode.


I have a convertible Toughbook too. One of my co-workers has a Toshiba convertible. I have an old IBM TransNote as well. Never had a broken hinge. I bet the hinge in the toughbook is stronger than the one in my MBP.


Given I'm willing to take that into the field and not my MBP I say that hinge strength is a non-issue.


The operating system is different but human is not. I have one and a half multi-touch devices as well (A DiamondTouch from Mitsubishi and another that does gestures but is not fully multi-touch). I've used a multitouch keyboard on a FITR multitouch device.

I can see a slate that docks into a laptop base (more batteries, optical and hdd, keyboard base) as a possibility. Or perhaps an iMac like base. But personal experience and observation tells me that a 10" slate is less useful than a 10" convertible.

If you're curious why I have so many machines and such oddball ones at that...I support HCI research.

I would also want a slightly larger then iPhone size rather then 10 inch.

However 720 x 480 is not HD. So i dont think iPhone HD 's name is good.

That's what they use on Stargate Atlantis.



What Ireland said...


This was an interesting mock-up...

Creating a terrible mockup = easy

Figuring out how the software would work on said crap mockup = very difficult

Looks to me like the Mac touch would need Yet-Another-Version-of-MacOSX. This will never happen. It would require tremendous effort on Apple's part to maintain the iPhone/iPod version, the Mac touch version, and the full-blown version.

I'm not even go over the flaws the Mac touch would exhibit (but the biggest that comes to mind is how someone would type on it without first laying it down on a flat surface.)

Anyway...Ireland and MacRonin have fertile imaginations if slightly disconnected from reality.